The Colors Of Christmas
The smell of my mother’s famous rose cookies wafts through the air as my little brothers chase each other across my bed in an attempt to win a pillow fight. My eyes open abruptly. It has begun.
Every year, my parents throw a five-day Christmas bash that would put most weddings to shame. We host and feed over 300 people complete with three-course meals, Christmas gifts, party favours and Bible readings. As the eldest son in...

Intelligent machines, which were just a vision a few years ago, are today rapidly automating
every common process around us. A fully automated future is impending, and as an aspiring
computer scientist, this phenomenon excites me like no other. Every advancement in technology,
from UBER to Neuralink, has propelled my interest and learning in computer science. I am
intrigued by the numerous challenges we face today and excited about the possibility of
discovering elegant technological solutions to them. It has...

Read more...

Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay

739 Words

My interest in the use of technology to fight crime took roots at an early age. I was influenced by the stories
narrated by my grandfather, a retired Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) officer. I would listen in awe each time
that he recounted anecdotes about fighting crimes across the country. A few days before his retirement, he took
me to his office in New Delhi and divulged the technology tools of his trade. I was amazed by the ways...

Read more...

Supplemental Essay: Time off from school

558 Words

Why I chose a Gap Year:
I graduated from high school as the Valedictorian of my class in May 2017 and despite having offers of admission from several Indian universities, I decided to take a gap year. Even though a gap year is considered very unconventional and unprecedented in my circle of friends and family, it seemed like a natural course of action for me.
Having watched my father build his cybersecurity business over the course of the last few years,...

Read more...

Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school

419 Words

My mind was racing as I waited outside the room at Kennedy Space Centre in Orlando waiting for the Robotics
Challenge to start.
I had never imagined that I’d get an opportunity to not only visit NASA but also to experience the spirit of its
intellectual environment. I was teamed up with high schoolers from different countries for the duration of the
Robotics Program and the challenge was a culmination of team effort in engineering the robot.
The week...

Read more...

Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay

160 Words

While researching top colleges, Duke’s Trinity College appealed to me instantly – not just for its extravagant Gothic architecture – but its holistic approach towards the liberal arts and science education.
Will there be a fourth Industrial Revolution following the rise of Artificial Intelligence? How will AI affect the existing inequalities in employment rates across countries?
I am inclined to major in Computer Science and specialise in AI. Trinity’s flexibility and interdisciplinary opportunities will allow me to take courses from...

Read more...

Supplemental Essay: Diversity statement

247 Words

“Praise the Lord”!
I greet my grandfather as he jovially enters the house after Sunday mass. I belong to a Tamil, Pentecostal Christian community and this phrase is a common way to greet each other. This salutation creates a sense of equality and humility in conversations, develops a consciousness to count one’s blessings and promotes positive spirit that is fundamental to cordial interactions.
Faith, equality, family values and passion for excellence are the core foundations of my community and...

Read more...

Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school

446 Words

“It's funny how humans can wrap their mind around things and fit them into their version of reality.”
- Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief
Our perceptive abilities as human beings have often been compared to the most sophisticated forms of technology, yet the great irony is that we struggle with moral and emotive expression. To develop educated opinions, some would argue, is the most advanced use of the human brain. Yet, the ability to evaluate opinions and to disagree is...

Read more...

Supplemental Essay: Intellectual interest

350 Words

The first time I read mathematician AK Ramanujan's biography, I perceived the discipline of mathematics as a sequence of shifting equations a la Russel Crowe's depiction of John Nash in the Oscar-winning film "A Beautiful Mind". The more I fell in love with math, the more I found the math in daily life be it interpreting statistics of the Indian cricket team or playing Sudoku with my Mom. The most appealing aspect of Math for me is that I can...

Read more...

Supplemental Essay: Extracurricular activity

315 Words

The soft rustle of brushstrokes on my canvas is the most primal sound in my life. Whether it is the days just prior to my Mathematics exam or during a period when I am in the midst of coordinating a complex event, I have always found peace in painting when my mind is cluttered. Every canvas I touch feels like an extension of myself - I concentrate myself in places, spread myself thin across blank spaces and dilute myself with...

Read more...

Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay

405 Words

The digital revolution of the 2000's became the invisible hand sculpting my reality, ambitions, and aspirations. I have witnessed with delight and curiosity the way life changed in big and small ways. Everything from the transformation in the video games I played to the way I communicated with my grandparents through Skype, has propelled my interest and learning in science. It has been my deepest desire to be a part of the growing community of creative people who work with...

Read more...

Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay

148 Words

Snorkelling in the Fiji Archipelagos while studying Computer Science is a rare combination that can only be experienced by a Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech. The exotic study abroad programs, as well as global internships at Georgia Tech, capture my passions.
I am a complete computer enthusiast – whether coding, designing or simply fixing devices – and this enthusiasm has led me to apply to Georgia Tech. I wish to major in Computer Science and minor in Computing and Intelligence. The deep...

Read more...

School Specific Advice

List of schools I interviewed with and my interview experience

417 Words

STANFORD: I interviewed for Stanford around the end of January 2018. The interview was set up to be held in a restaurant. It took almost an hour to reach but I still managed to reach 15 minutes before my interviewer arrived.
The interviewer was a highly qualified businessman with his own start-up and I expected the interview to be a difficult one. Before my interview, I brushed up on news, start-up scenes in India as well as around the world, and read the latest technology trends.
I got quite nervous right before the interview, but all my nerves calmed down once the...

Read more...

List of schools I interviewed with and my interview experience

348 Words

DUKE: My interview was scheduled at a nearby Starbucks. I reached 20 minutes before the interview and just sipped on some water to cool my nerves.
After he arrived, we had a casual greeting – he asked me if I wanted some coffee, I said I’m fine, thank you. As I did do some stalking, I came to know he was an engineer at a top firm, so I prepared on my technical knowledge and prepared for whatever questions that I thought he might throw at me.
BUT, my interviewer was this really chill dude who was pretty young and he...

Read more...

List of schools I interviewed with and my interview experience

204 Words

Princeton University: I applied to Princeton RD, and had my alumni interview in Mid-Feb. On the Princeton website, it says they try and interview 100% of the applicant-pool so getting an interview is not an indicator of your application status, unlike other universities. I had a phone interview with an alumnus who had just graduated in 2017. My interview experience was pleasant overall...

Read more...

More Essays

These essays haven't been tagged by school. Click school logos above to see tagged essays.

General Admissions Advice

Why I recommend taking a gap year

150 Words

I recommend taking a gap year to a lot of international students who figure out they want to study abroad late in their junior or senior year. As an Indian student, my family and I always dreamed of the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology across...

Read more...

How to deal with the stress of applying to college

72 Words

I think that most students deal with a lot of stress in their senior years. I believe that during this time it's...

Read more...

How I made up for low grades in high school

171 Words

I scored on the low end of the spectrum during my junior year (11th grade in India). Generally, a lot of people don't perform very well in their junior year, but I had outdone myself and performed very poorly. So, at the start of senior year, I made sure that I...

Read more...

How I narrowed down my essay topics

175 Words

The most useful piece of information you need when thinking about essay topics is YOU. Do you perform academically well? Are your interests in Math, Science or Humanities? Do you like painting? Are you a good speaker? Or are you better off as a listener? Do you come from a minority background?...